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Make this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe and you can expect buttery and delicious shortbread cookies with sweet chocolate morsels and a soft, crumbly texture. They’re a fun twist on classic shortbread and are perfect for dipping and dunking in a glass of milk. They really are melt in your mouth cookies and one is never enough! These cookies are so buttery with a hint of caramel and a wonderful sandy, crumbly texture just like the classic shortbread recipe.

A wonderful addition to your tea party, holiday cookie tray or simple treats with a warm cup of coffee, this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe is easy to make.

Also try cranberry orange biscotti, Starbucks oat bars, chocolate sugar cookie cutouts and chocolate chunk pecan pie.

A stack of homemade chocolate chip shortbread cookies with a glass of milk.

Why You’ll Love These

  • Easy to make: There’s nothing difficult about this chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe with mini chocolate chips. It’s an easy cookie recipe with simple ingredients.
  • Perfect shortbread cookie texture:  Although there are plenty of different cookie recipes to choose from, shortbread has a dense, sandy, crumbly texture that’s unique, so if you love buttery chocolate chip shortbread cookies, you’ll adore these.
  • Great for any occasion:  These are always good. Whether you want to make Christmas cookies, a classic shortbread recipe with a twist or you simply want to try a new recipe, I highly recommend making these.
Overhead view of rectangle shaped chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a wire rack.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Ingredients

Most of the ingredients you need for these melt in your mouth cookies are probably already in your pantry. You need salted butter, sugar (powdered, brown and white), flour, salt, vanilla, milk chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips.

Ingredients to make a chocolate chip shortbread cookies recipe.

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.

Cream the butter:  Beat the butter with the powdered sugar and brown sugar, and the salt, until smooth and fluffy, using a hand mixer.
Add more ingredients:  Mix in the vanilla extract and then the flour, and then the chocolate chips.
Shape the dough:  Press the shortbread cookie dough into a rectangle on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper, then put more wax paper on top and roll it out to about ½-inch thick.
Chill the dough:  Refrigerate the chocolate chip shortbread dough for half an hour or until hard and cold.
Cut out the cookies:  Cut 4-inch x 1-inch cookies using a sharp knife.
Bake them:  Give the cookies about 20 or 25 minutes in a preheated oven, until they are starting to turn golden, before letting them cool on a wire rack.

Overhead view of rectangle shaped chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a wire rack.
A stack of homemade chocolate chip shortbread cookies with a glass of milk.

Substitutions and Variations

You don’t have to use milk chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips, although the contrast is really good. You could stick to one type of chocolate chip or chocolate chunks or even try something else such as white chocolate.

A stack of homemade chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a cake stand.

For a different presentation, you could dip or drizzle with melted chocolate.

Overhead view of rectangle shaped chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a wire rack.

What to Serve with Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

These are nice dunked into a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee. They make a nice pick-me-up if you’re flagging mid-afternoon, or you can package them in cellophane as gifts. You might also like chocolate chip sandwich cookies, Italian chocolate roll cookies or perhaps you’re more into canestrelli cookies which look like cute little flowers.

A stack of homemade chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a wire rack with a glass of milk.

Storage Instructions

Store:  Shortbread keeps for a few days in an airtight container at room temperature or maybe twice that long in the refrigerator.
Freeze:  Freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.

Close view of rectangle shaped chocolate chip shortbread cookies on a wire rack.
How can you tell when they’re perfectly baked?

If you don’t bake shortbread cookies enough, they won’t have that dry, sandy, crumbly texture they’re supposed to have. When baked too long, they might burn. If you do notice them browning too quickly, just turn the oven down a bit. They’re golden brown and crumbly when perfectly cooked.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Chocolate chip shortbread cookie dough can be prepared in advance. For the best results, when cutting out the cookies it should be cold anyway, so feel free to make it up to a day ahead, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until required.

If it crumbles when you try to cut the cookies, let it warm up a little so it’s easier to work with. It should be somewhere between refrigerator temperature and room temperature.

Overhead view of a stack of homemade shortbread cookies with chocolate chips.
Rectangle shaped chocolate chip shortbread cookies placed around a bowl of chocolate chips.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

5 from 44 votes
Indulge in buttery, chocolatey goodness with this shortbread cookie recipe! Crumbly texture, and perfect for dunking in milk, coffee or tea.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a large mixing bowl combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until light and smooth.
  • Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
  • Sift in the flour and mix until no white flour is visible and the dough is clumpy and crumbly.
  • Add both of the chocolate chips and mix one last time. The dough should still be clumpy and crumbly.
  • Turn the dough out onto a large piece of wax paper or parchment. Use your hands to press and shape the dough into one cohesive rectangle. Take extra care of the edges, try to press any shaggy pieces in.
  • Place a second sheet of wax paper on the top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out between the two pieces of wax paper. Roll the dough to an even rectangle roughly 1/2″ thick, and 11.5″ x 8.5″ in size.
  • Slide the dough onto a cutting board and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or until the dough has chilled and hardened.
  • Once the dough has chilled remove it from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Use a sharp knife to trim the uneven edges of the rectangle. Cut the dough in half the long way, then make horizontal cuts about every inch or inch and a half. Each cookie should measure roughly 1″ x 4″. If the dough is too hard and difficult to cut, let the dough sit for a few minutes to soften.
  • Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.
  • Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

This chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe with mini chocolate chips is so delicious. The cookies are golden brown and have a wonderful sandy, dense texture. Enjoy shortbread chocolate cookies dunked in a glass of milk or your morning coffee for a special treat. It is one of my favourite shortbread recipes especially during the holiday season.

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 44 votes (36 ratings without comment)

12 Comments

  1. These look great and I can’t wait to try them soon. I know Bella wrote the bake temp at 350 in these comments, but earlier in her recipe description she says 325. Just need to confirm it’s 350, thanks!

  2. 5 stars
    My girlfriend, Adrianne, makes the most wonderful chocolate chip shortbread. She always uses the mini chips and her secret is that she freezes the chips so that they don’t get to melted and maintain their integrity when baked. They are fantastic.

    Good for you for putting this out into the world.

  3. 5 stars
    These were so rich and delcious, just like how a great shortbread should be, and the chocolate chips make them extra special. Thanks for another great recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    I am so in love with your chocolate chip shortbread. Delicious, sweet, buttery, tasty, and addictive. I am already on my third batch. Thank you.

  5. 5 stars
    These chocolate chip shortbread cookies broke me out of my cookie rut! I wanted just a little something sweet for my afternoon tea and these were perfect! Delightful recipe

  6. 5 stars
    These were tender and buttery. I love the added chocolate chips… really amps up the traditional flavors.

  7. 5 stars
    would appreciate knowing the temperature to heat the oven to… am I missing that somehow? Seems like a rather important part of baking… Thank you!

    1. hi! I recently changed recipe formats and that must not have copied over on this one. It is 350 F. I have added it back in. Thanks for letting me know.